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General info

A longer maximum focal length allows you to focus in on a small part of a scene, and offers a narrower angle of view than shorter focal lengths.

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 800mm F/5.6E FL ED VR

800mm

2.Has a metal mount

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

A metal mount is generally superior to a plastic mount as it is more durable.

3.minimum focal length

35mm

A shorter minimum focal length allows you to get more of the scene in the photo, and offers a wider angle of view than longer focal lengths.

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm F/1.4G ED

0.25mm

4.weight

400g

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Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm F/1.8D

155g

5.Is a wide angle lens

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

A wide angle lens is great for capturing larger areas of a scene, such as when doing architectural or landscape photography.

6.Includes lens hood

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

It comes with a lens hood so that you don’t have to buy it separately. These are used to block strong light sources, such as the sun, from the lens to prevent glare and lens flare.

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Optics

1.magnification

0.2x

A true macro lens has a magnification of 1:1. This means that the image produced is a life-size representation of the subject being photographed.

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Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm F/3.5G ED VR

1.5x

2.optical zoom

1x

The zoom range is the ratio between the longest and shortest focal lengths. A higher zoom range means that the lens is more versatile.

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Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR

16.7x

3.maximum angle of view

52°

At the shorter end of the lens you get the widest angle of view. This allows you to fit more of the scene into the photograph (based on APS-C format).

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED

180°

4.minimum angle of view

52°

At the longest end of the lens you get the narrowest angle of view. This allows you to fit a small portion of the scene into the photograph, such as when you are zooming in on a subject (based on APS-C format).

Best

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 800mm F/5.6E FL ED VR

2°

relevant

Aperture

1.widest aperture

f/1.4

With a wider aperture the sensor can capture more light, helping to avoid blur by enabling a faster shutter speed. It also provides a shallow depth of field, allowing you to blur the background to focus attention on the subject.

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Nikon Nikkor 50mm F/1.2

f/1.2

2.widest aperture at maximum focal length

1.4f

With a wider aperture the sensor can capture more light, helping to avoid blur by enabling a faster shutter speed. It also provides a shallow depth of field, allowing you to blur the background to focus attention on the subject.

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Nikon Nikkor 50mm F/1.2

1.2f

3.aperture blades

9

The aperture controls how much light gets through to the camera’s sensor. More blades is often an indicator of a better quality lens. It also allows you to achieve much nicer looking bokeh when blurring out your background, whereas a lens with less blades will often produce harsher, more polygonal bokeh.

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Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S

9

4.smallest aperture at minimum focal length

16f

A smaller aperture reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This is important in bright conditions where a wider aperture could result in your image being overexposed. Another advantage is that with a smaller aperture you get a greater depth of field, and can keep all of the image in focus.

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F4E PF ED VR

32f

5.smallest aperture at maximum focal length

16f

A smaller aperture reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This is important in bright conditions where a wider aperture could result in your image being overexposed. Another advantage is that with a smaller aperture you get a greater depth of field, and can keep all of the image in focus.

Best

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm F/4-5.6G

45f

6.Has rounded aperture blades

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

Similar to the number of aperture blades, rounded blades affect the way the light gets through to the sensor. Rounded blades, often only found on more expensive lenses, improve the appearance of the out-of-focus areas. This allows you to attain better, softer looking bokeh in your photos.

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Focus

1.has a silent focus motor built into the lens

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

Lenses with built-in focus motor focus faster and more quietly than lenses without a focus motor which rely on the camera's body focus motor.

2.Has full-time manual focus

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

With full-time manual focus, you can move the focus ring whilst it is in AF (autofocus) mode. This means that you can make manual adjustments once the AF has finished, without changing to manual mode.

3.Has focus motor

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

Lenses with a built-in focus motor can autofocus even if the camera does not have its own focus motor.

4.minimum focus distance

0.3m

This is the closest distance that the lens can focus. A shorter minimum focus distance allows you to get closer to your subject, and is particularly important when doing macro photography.

Best

Nikon AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm F/2.8G ED

0.14m

5.Can focus to infinity

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F/1.4

Many lenses allow you to focus to infinity. This is essential when you wish to take photos including far off objects, such as when shooting landscapes, in order to make sure everything is sharp and in focus.